Bcs Title

Reporting from New Orleans -- Alabama did something Monday night even the best NFL teams don't do much anymore. The Crimson Tide played defense -- what a boring, antiquated, yesteryear concept. No. 2 Alabama pitched the first shutout in Bowl Championship Series title-game history with a 21-0 win over No. 1 Louisiana State at the Superdome. It also was the first shutout in the 14-year history of BCS bowl games. It was the second BCS title for Alabama, which won in 2009, and its 14th national title overall.

ATLANTA -- Alabama and Georgia haven't played in football since 2008 but won't be completely startled when they bump into each other at the Georgia Dome on Saturday. At stake is the Southeastern Conference championship - otherwise known as the "Bowl Championship Series title pregame show. " The programs are mirror images, with the same 11-1 record and boots-on-the-ground SEC mentality. "There's not a whole lot of tricks or gimmicks with us or them," Alabama Coach Nick Saban remarked this week.

Ohio State's president says Texas Christian and Boise State don't deserve to be in the BCS title game even if they run the table. Boise State's president disagrees, and doesn't appreciate the slam on his school In an interview with the Associated Press on Wednesday, Ohio State President Gordon Gee ? whose school maintains the largest athletic program in the country ? said that TCU and Boise State do not face a difficult enough schedule to play in the national championship game.

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. - The images will be vivid, history will be haunting, ghosts will be everywhere. This is Knute Rockne versus Bear Bryant, Touchdown Jesus versus Dreamland Bar-B-Que, Four Horsemen versus Lynyrd Skynyrd, Joe Montana versus Joe Namath, and, of course, in the battle of the little guys, Rudy versus Nick. It will be a football game bathed in a complicated mess of legend, religion and roughhousing, but most folks think Monday's BCS national championship heavyweight fight between Alabama and Notre Dame can be symbolized by a single disparity.

Alabama's smothering defense is designed primarily to stop the run and force opposing teams to pass -- which could play right into Texas' hands in Thursday's Bowl Championship Series title game. The Longhorns have the sixth-most prolific passer in NCAA history in Colt McCoy , a two-time finalist for the Heisman Trophy. "It's always a danger when you've got a great quarterback that throws the ball well, that scrambles well," Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart said Sunday.

The football coach at the University of Texas is a man with a common name and an uncommon success story. For the last 12 seasons, the eyes of Texas have been upon Mack Brown. And for nearly every minute, those eyes have smiled -- except in places such as Lubbock and College Station. Brown is the leader of the legions of people who dress in orange, who place forefinger and pinkie in the air so they can "Hook 'Em, Horns" and who will be at the Rose Bowl on Thursday night in full throat and faith for the Bowl Championship Series title game against Alabama.

It's all over, except for the voting. With its 28-14 victory over Michigan in Thursday's Rose Bowl, USC likely-probably-almost assuredly clinched at least a share of its first national title since 1978. No top-ranked team in Associated Press poll history has been demoted after a bowl victory. "I imagine we won't change history in that regard," USC Coach Pete Carroll said.

College football has the best regular season in sports. It says so right there on Page 5 of the Bowl Championship Series propaganda manifesto (a.k.a., media guide). "Every game counts," a printing company typed out for the BCS. Guess what, though, it's true. If every game counts in baseball, why did the Angels wait until almost May to call Mike Trout up from Salt Lake City? The NBA has 82 regular-season games, 75 of which former Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal used to get in shape for the playoffs.

We're headed down the rankings stretch ? and you thought Zenyatta's last race was exciting? Get a load of the nags bringing up the rear of this week's top 25 ? USC and Florida. The race for this season's national title involves four undefeated schools, although two are loaded down with extra BCS saddle weight because they are named Boise State and Texas Christian. It would be a mistake to count out one-loss "Mad Hatter," ridden by Les "Laffit" Miles. Louisiana State is the only team to win a BCS title with two defeats and has claimed two national championships since 2002 despite spending a total of two weeks at No. 1 in the BCS standings.